


Lumps in Pahrump

by lady_meatball



Series: A December to Remember [10]
Category: American (US) Actor RPF, Chris Evans (Actor) RPF
Genre: Domestic Evans, Domestic!Evans, F/M, Gen, Getting to Know Each Other, K C & the Sunshine Band, K&C, K's Crazy Family, Light Smut, Meet the Family, Shower Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 15:35:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11293602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_meatball/pseuds/lady_meatball
Summary: The two days following Chris’ surprise trip to Katie’s mom and stepdad’s house on Christmas where they get to be lazy lumps, enjoying some quiet time by themselves and with her immediate family. Chris gets to know his soon to be in-laws, and Katie gives him his first glimpses of the rest of her family, and even what the future could have in store for them.





	Lumps in Pahrump

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings- Some smut, (tail end of) period sex, unprotected sex, awkward and embarrassing moments in front of family

 

 

 

 

[Originally posted by lovershub](https://tmblr.co/Z43mrh2Mojk7Q)

* * *

 

 

“Ya know, _you were right_ …”

 Katie shifted her face from where it rested on a pillow covering Chris’ lap; she was laying on the short ‘L’ of the couch in her mom and step dad’s living room.

 “ _About?_ ” Katie smiled up at him. Lifting his hand, Chris brushed his fingertips over her cheek gently, matching her soft, warm expression.

 “There really isn’t **_anything_** to do here!” Chris chuckled.

 “ _Nooope._ ” She laughed, shaking her head from side to side as she stretched up to peck a kiss to his lips.

 It was the day after Christmas, early in the afternoon and they had the living room to themselves-Will, Katie’s stepdad was out tinkering in the garage and Patti, Katie’s mom had excused herself to shower and get dressed, allowing Chris and Katie some privacy after breakfast, cuddled up on the couch watching reruns of Home Improvement on Hallmark.

 “So… _why_ is your mom getting dressed up to go out?”

“Trip to the grocery store, and Will said something about needing to go to Home Depot.-” Katie explained, sitting up to snuggle into his body and resting her head in the crook of his neck. She tipped her head back just enough to make eye contact, adding, “If you want to head out, the only options for excitement around here are Walmart, Home Depot, the Adult Store or the brothels…”

The sparkle of mischief in her eyes told him she was feeling frisky…or at least, she was rounding the corner on not feeling up to being intimate just yet.

“Or we could stay here…I’m sure we could come up with _something_ to keep ourselves entertained, babe.” Chris said with a wink and a squeeze to her ass.

“Oh…but Mom’s _dying_ to show off the porn shop…” Katie laughed; the way she said it had him joining her but the quiet talk in the wee morning hours they shared while tangled together had him aware Katie was entirely serious.

“She’s a kick in the pants…I can _definitely_ see where you get it from…”

“Oh, you ain’t seen nothing yet…she’s _tame_ compared to Gram, and besides…I’m still feeling kinda ‘bleh’-” She confessed with a shy and slightly embarrassed expression, “-in case you hadn’t noticed…”

He had.

The previous night, after surprising her with his sudden appearance when she thought he was clear on the other side of the country, enjoying the festivities with his family, and once the shock of his big, romantic gesture coupled with the emotional reunion they shared along with the weak argument that the shiny new hardware finally taking up it’s rightful place on her left hand was far too big, Chris had tried engaging their usual method of ‘reconnecting’ once they had settled in for the night…but as he moved to touch her, her hand stopped him from slipping under the band of the leggings she had worn to bed; his next attempt was shot down as well, her hand once again grabbing his wrist from under her t-shirt just as his hand found her breast, wincing and making a sound of discomfort mid-French kiss.

_“Oww…be gentle, I’m sore.”_ Katie had whispered against his lips, adding sadly as she let go of his wrist after moving his hand to rest on her waist, reaching her own hand up to pet soft touches to his face, “I’m _sorry_ , baby…I think we have to wait a little bit longer before…”

Swallowing back his disappointment, he nodded in the little bit of moonlight that made it past the blinds behind the bed, but understanding completely that she wasn’t feeling up to it, Chris pulled the material of the back of her shirt up, allowing him to rub small circles over her bare skin before following the curve of her side to rub her back gently.

Leaning in the few millimeters left between them, he nuzzled into her, saying, “It’s okay, babe.. _.I get it_. Christmas sex would have been the cherry on top, but I **_totally_** understand. All that matters is I’ve got you in my arms again, and it’s not exactly the first time I’ve had to suffer through blue balls with you…but I AM gonna keep kissing you, if that’s _okay_?”

“Do you want anything?” Chris asked, now back in the present, touching the back of his knuckles to her jaw gently, eyes heavy with concern, knowing Katie felt miserable since he woke to her pulling his arm around her in her tightly curled form in the early dawn, soothing her by pressing close, whispering a groggy ‘ _Love you…sleep…’m here_ ’ before dozing back to sleep. “You _hungry_? _Cold_?-” he offered, smiling inwardly as he dropped his voice to a whisper, leaning forward to add with a playful wiggle of his eyebrows, “- _Horny_?”

Katie shook her head from side to side, “No…you’re _here_ , that’s all I wanted, and never in my wildest dreams expected. But-” she smiled, reaching for his hand to brush her thumb over his knuckles in her own tender touch of affection before looking up at him through her lashes with a mischievous smirk, saying, “-just because the main attraction is down for maintenance, that doesn’t mean I can’t play with your wiener in the shower though…”

“ _Shhhh!_ ” Chris chastised, laughing with a finger to her lips. “Don’t say ‘ _wiener_ ’…”

“Why? Why don’t you want me to say ‘ ** _WIENER_** ’, Chris? Are you afraid my mom is going to come in?” Katie laughed, smiling up at him. “Are you afraid my mom is going to walk in while I’m talking about playing with your…” She asked, but her voice dropped off and Chris saw her eyes flick away from his, and following in her wake as he caught her head turn to the left, finding Patti, Katie’s mom, peeking around the corner at them with huge eyes and a surprised expression.

[Originally posted by world-of-cats](https://tmblr.co/ZrddPf2KWdkau)

“ _Oh myyyyy…_ ”

“ _Oops…_ ” Katie giggled, burying her face into his neck; Chris sighed, shaking his head, feeling his cheeks burn with a blush of embarrassment.

“Yes… _ **yes, Sassy**_ … _I was_.” He admitted with an apologetic smirk to his future mother-in-law, “ _Sorry_ …”

Patti stepped out from behind the corner, fighting to hold in her laughter and failing as she said, “I _don’t care_ if you play with his wiener Kathryn Elizabeth, **_hell_** , I _encourage_ it…I **want** grand-babies, Chris. Just… _don’t do it_ on the couch. We sit there… _as a family_ …and if _anybody_ is playing with a wiener on my couch, it’s gonna be _**me**_ , playing with my husbands.”

Will had just walked in, Cassie two steps behind him, and hearing his wife’s admission, he frozen, eyebrows lifting his forehead sky high; lifting his hands in surrender, he stated, “Don’t know what I just walked in on, but…any uncovered body parts need to be put back in whatever appropriate article of clothing they belong in, and I’m not going to ask any further questions… _I don’t want to know_.”

Reaching his arm out, Chris landed a swat to Katie’s ass from the odd angle they occupied the couch in, telling Katie as she continued laughing away like a loon in his side, “ _Welp_ … ** _YOU_** just blew that speech of yours about keeping our sex life _solely_ between _you and I_ , _didn’t you_? You’re lucky I love you, Tinkerbell…”

[Originally posted by wannabepillows](https://tmblr.co/ZEDR2l1ion8V3)

* * *

 

“Are you _sure_ you don’t want to come with us?” My mother asked from the corner of the hallway.

“ _I’m good_.” I replied, still snuggled into Chris’ side. She looked from me to Chris, expecting him to be make me change my mind it seemed. “ _We’re_ good…”

“Yeah, I think staying here is probably best…” He answered, lifting his right hand to his face before the huge yawn escaped him.

“Okay, _fine…_ ” She sighed while pulling on her coat and picking up her travel tumbler of diet soda. “Chris, what kind of toppings do you like on your pizza?”

“ _Ummm_ , I’m fine with whatever…” Chris started to say, looking down at me where I was pressed into his body, lowering his voice to ask me, “ _I thought you said they were going to the grocery store?_ ”

“They are, for staples like milk, eggs, ice cream…”

“ ** _Oh_**! And which kind of ice cream should we get you?” Mom asked, walking back down the hall from the front door and one of the entrances to the kitchen towards us on the couch.

His brows lifted higher, and I couldn’t fight my giggling as I smiled back up at him.

“He likes Cookies ‘N Cream…” I offered, turning away from Chris to smile back at my mom just as my stepdad joined her, wanting to get the show on road so they could get back before the weather decided if it wanted to break yet again. Rubbing my left hand along Chris’ side under the blanket he had pulled over me and part of his lap, I glanced up at him, adding, “And maybe… _Sam Adams_?”

Chris nodded, agreeing with me.

“Sam Adams Winter Lager. _Pleeeeease_?” I instructed, adding to the grocery list. Mom just nodded, making note and writing it down.

It was ten more minutes before they left, and Cassie settled on her bed in front of the fireplace to enjoy the heat, while Chris and Katie sat in peace and quiet, watching the television without really paying attention to what was happening on the screen.

Her shifting and fidgeting drew his attention from where he had tilted his head back onto the cushions and closed his eyes, rubbing slow, lazy designs on her arm while she played her fingers over his right hand.

“Hey… _what’s up_?” He asked softly while rubbing his hand along her back and down onto her ass for a few gentle pats.

“I feel gross.” Katie stated, rubbing her eyes tiredly before sending a little smirk in his direction, “ _Come scrub my back?_ ”

Shaking his head, Chris smiled.

[Originally posted by http-romanogers](https://tmblr.co/Z3VHpu29Rit9I)

“I thought you were still feeling… _’meh’_ …that’s why I haven’t tried putting the moves on you this morning.”

Katie shrugged her left shoulder, telling him, “I _do_ …but I _don’t_. _Get my drift?_ I mean…in the shower, it’s easier to clean up.”

“ _It is_ …but I _know_ …”

“Chris…” Katie called, pressing her finger to his lips, “ _Stop thinking_ …come on-” She sat back, grabbing his hand to tug him to follow her as she stood, “-come scrub my back and wash my hair. I’ll do yours…if you’re lucky. Come on, let’s go play on the shower.”

“How can I say no to an offer like that, babe?” He chuckled, pushing the blanket off his lap and moving off the couch to stand, following in her wake around the corner, splitting off to grab his toiletries from his suitcase while Katie headed into the bathroom to turn the water on to heat.

Walking into the bathroom a few minutes later, Chris pulled the door shut behind him, finding Katie’s clothes in the pile on the floor, and her silhouette moving behind the frosted glass of the shower.

He set his bag containing his toothbrush, razor and other hygiene items on the granite counter and began stripping off his own clothes, adding them to the pile. His hand closed around the towel bar of the shower door, pushing it open to allow him to step in; he found Katie standing under the the spray, eyes closed when he joined her, pulling the door shut and keeping as much of the heat in their little cocoon as possible.

Stepping into her, Chris’ hands immediately went to her hips as his head tilted to kiss her lips; her hands had been smoothing back her wet hair but left their task to migrate to his neck, snaking behind his head to wrap her arms in a tight embrace, returning his kiss with her own.

“ _Mmm…_ ” He hummed mid-kiss, water spraying into his face.

“ _This is nice._ ” Katie whispered, pecking soft kisses to his mouth while pressing her body into his, her arms holding him close. “I’ve missed you.”

Turning himself, and Katie too, Chris took his turn under the water.

“ _I missed you too, babe._ ” He said, smiling when he felt her right hand leave his shoulder, coming to wipe the water from his eyes; sighing, he added, “ _Always._ ”

Opening his now cleared eyes, Chris saw her expression grow into a wide smile as she searched his face.

“What’s that smile for?” He asked, feeling his own face split into a matching grin while backing her up to the far wall of the shower stall.

“We’re getting married on _Saturday_.” She stated, biting her lip; a blush colored her cheeks in the humidity surrounding them, and she ducked her face to attempt to hide it. “ _Five more days_.”

“You’re so damn _adorable_ when you do that.” Chris pointed out, letting go of Katie’s hip to lift her face with his finger hooked under her chin, making her look at him. “ _I love it_ when you go all shy and start blushing on me… _it reminds me of the night we met._ ”

She looked up, smiling as she pulled her arms from behind his head, moving them to rest her hands against his chest, admitting with a chuckle and another wave of color tinging her cheeks, “I thought I hid it better, _but I guess not_ …ya know, you might think I’m _crazy_ for this, but… _that night_ , it was like I was constantly fighting with myself…like I had _little voices_ arguing in my ears.”

He stood still, just watching Katie fighting her embarrassment, in aww and fighting the rising need to laugh; leaning his head forward, Chris lost his battle, beginning to giggle as he touched his forehead to hers.

“ _You **DO** think I’m crazy!_ ” She keened, laughing with a weak hit of her fist over Chris’ heart. “ _Noooo!!_ ”

Laughing heartily, Chris leaned further into her body, slipping his arms around Katie’s waist for a hug, chuckling in her ear as she went on, her own arms pulling from where they were wedged between their body’s to frame his arms and upper body, giving him a gentle shake as she went on, saying, “I’m **not** crazy… _I swear, Chris_! I’m _not crazy_ , it was just like…”

_“Like you had tiny little versions of yourself acting as tiny, argumentative ambassadors for your head, your heart…_ ” He asked softly, fighting a wide grin as he pulled back just far enough to meet her eyes; a dawning look of realization spread over her face, preceding her jaw dropping and a loud gasp echoed around the shower stall. Her eyes were wide, imploring him to reassure her that he wasn’t making fun of her, her hand leaving his bicep to cover her mouth, making him laugh before adding, “So _you_ had them _too_? Tell me Babe, did you have your libido in on that discussion? ‘Cause I had mine doing all kinds of ungentlemanly things with you in mind…”

“You… _you_ had the voices _too_?” Katie asked breathlessly; Chris nodded, his own look of astonished amusement at this new information had him closing the distance again, touching his nose to Katie’s.

“ _Yeah…_ ” He whispered against her lips, “You still think this is a dream, Kay? Are you _still_ waiting for me to _disappear_? Because I think this just bolsters the fact you and me… _we’re supposed to be together._ ”

A loud sniff caught his ear, and Chris pulled back to see her face pinch and tears well in her eyes as her hands touched his face.

“ _You’re just as crazy as I am…_ ” She chuckled as her emotions broke.

“ _Just a little bit…_ ” He answered; feeling his own emotions build at seeing her crying happy tears, Chris closed the distance between their lips, needing to drive home his love for her with a hungry, intense kiss.

Pressing her to the wall of the shower, Chris led the exchange, letting her know that he wanted her while removing one arm from her waist to reach down to her leg, gripping her behind the knee and drawing her leg to his hip. Her answer was a nip to his lip and one hand skating down his side, slipping between their bodies to grasp his hardening cock.

“ _Kay_ … _Baby_ …-” He panted while sawing his hips into her grip, licking his lips and swallowing hard before going on to say, “-you have to tell me if you want this…”

A firm squeeze, starting at the base of his dick and following his length as Katie stroked down to the head; it was her turn to lean forward, capturing his lips for a passionate kiss.

“ _I want this_ …-” She breathed against his mouth, her hand guiding him to her entrance, “- ** _ALWAYS_** , Chris. _Please_ …”

He watched her, heart threatening to pound right out of his chest with the sheer amount of love her felt for her in that moment; reaching his left hand up to brush over her cheek, Chris tilted his face in, nuzzling his nose to hers in a tender touch as he shifted his body closer, into position.

“ _You_ love _me_ , and _I_ love _you_ …we meet in the middle, _remember_?” She whispered, returning the touch with a sigh as he pressed home.

“How could I forget?” He exhaled, sinking further into her body, relishing the moment of feeling whole once again; a tiny smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, Chris migrated to along her jaw to her neck, attaching to her skin with the intention of leaving a mark as his body withdrew to find his rhythm. Chris grasped a handful of her ass with one hand, the other cupping a heavy breast, as he hummed against her flesh, “No more hurting… _’kay_?”

“Can’t…you’re _here_.” Katie mewled as his body worked them both higher, a breathy gasp sounding in his ear before she whispered, “ **Mine** … _forever_.”

“ _Forever_ , babe.” Chris growled, snapping his hips to emphasis as he went on, “ _I’m **YOURS**_ … _you’re **MINE**_ **.** _Missing pieces_. _Soulmates_.”

“ _Soulmates_.” She agreed, wrapping her arms behind his neck, holding him close so she connect to his mouth.

It wasn’t long before Chris caught the high sounds escaping the back of her throat, telling him she was close; breaking their kiss, he breathed, “I’m not wearing… _do you want me to_ …I’m gonna cum…”

“Stay. _I want you to_ …let go, baby. As much as you have to give me, I want it all…” Katie told him, kissing a path along his bearded jaw, stopping only to close her teeth on his ear lobe, giving a gentle tug, whispering, “ _From this point on_ , you love me with everything you’ve got, Chris, _nothing between us_ …and I’ll give it back to you tenfold…give me your heart, your soul…and I’ll give you what you’ve always wanted…a family.”

Her words, words she knew he longed to make reality, echoed in his mind, setting him off with a bellow raising from his chest, only to be matched by the cry that came from Katie with his last slamming thrust as they both came crashing down from the high together.

It took a moment, blood pounding in his ears while they leaned against the wall, recovering, but the feeling of her hand rubbing along his back, brought Chris back to the present, lifting his head from where he rested it on her shoulder, pressed into her neck now proudly showing a blossoming hickey.

“The water’s gonna be cold…” Katie sighed contentedly when he turned to focus on her, “But it’s _totally_ worth a freezing cold shower, when I’ve got you to keep me warm…”

A small chuckle snorted from him, making a small smile lift the left side of his face in his tired state, drinking in the humid air by the lungful.

“ _That’s all **you**_ , babe…or did you forget, fire heats air?”

“ _You smartass…_ -” She smiled softly, touching her fingertips to his face, tracing over his lips, nose, cheekbones, eyebrows and eyelids in loving caresses before leaning her face forward to kiss his triumphant smirk, whispering, “- _I_ may lift you up like a bird rides the warm currents in the sky, but _you_ …you’re the oxygen that fans my flames, Chris. _I love you, so very much._ ”

* * *

 

We had finished showering in the frigid water that remained, hurrying to wrap up so we could dry off and resume our spots on the couch before our time alone ran out.

When I heard the gravel out front crunch with the tires pulling into the drive, Cassie let out a ‘ _roof_ ’ and stood, going to meet Mom and Will at the front door, and I pulled back, disengaging from the lazy making out while pulling Chris’ hand from under my shirt.

[Originally posted by couplenotes](https://tmblr.co/ZfWLRh2DOGW6P)

“ _Hold that thought_ …we’ll pick up where we left off later, _I promise_.” I whispered, pecking a kiss to his lips. “Let’s go help with the groceries…I don’t know about _you_ , but _I’m_ hungry after our shower, and _thar’s pizza in that Toyota out front_ …”

His eyes had been closed, enjoying our reclined position in the corner of the couch; a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he slowly opened his eyes, licking his lips.

“ _I’ll go_ , you stay here…where it’s warm.” Chris had said quietly, patting my leg as he sat up.

“You don’t get to tell me what to do-” I smiled, reaching up to cup his face, running my thumb over his lower lip which he opened his mouth to bite, “- _we’re not married yet_. I still have five days, Mister.”

“That street goes _both ways_ , Missy.” He laughed, holding my wrist to kiss the pad of my thumb, shooting me a wink before telling me, “Five more days of freedom… _you bettah enjoy ‘em_ …”

“ _Nah_ …five more days until the _rest of my life begins_. I’m looking forward to it…just like I’m looking forward to _annoying the shit out you for the rest of my days._ ” I told him, touching my now extended pointer finger to the tip of his nose.

“ _Bring it_ , Princess…” He challenged, pushing my hand from his face to lean forward, planting a whopping kiss to my lips.

The handle on the screen door unlocked, and the front door opened soon after, as I caught my mother calling, “We’re _hooooooome_ …Katie, will you… _ooooh_ …”

[Originally posted by couplenotes](https://tmblr.co/ZfWLRh2C-0qNr)

Chris pulled back, my lip still caught in his before the seal of our kiss broke with an audible ‘ _pop_ ’; turning he smiled down the hall, lifting his hand in greeting.

“ _Hi,_ Ma.” He called, standing from his spot next to me; touching his left hand to my cheek in a soft caress with his fingertips and thumb, Chris glanced back at me, adding with a wave of his right hand towards my mother, “Come on inside, I’ll help Will unload the _cah_.”

Reaching for his wrist, I leaned into his touch, holding his hand to my face for a moment longer before kissing his palm and he took that as my permission for him to leave…but not before he looked me in the eye and mouthed, ‘ _I love you, Tinkerbell_ ’ and blew me a kiss; I squeezed his wrist, mouthing _‘I love you more, Boom’_ and earning a wink from him as he pulled from my grip, heading towards the door.

[Originally posted by chrisandchips](https://tmblr.co/ZDUz_j20CD9WO)

* * *

 

That night was one of talking with his new family over pizza while sharing a bottle of wine with Katie before they all took up their spots on the couch once more to settle in while watching movies; the wine as it turned out, had been a gift from Will that he had picked up on his last trip back to ‘their old neck of the woods’ earlier in the month.

Katie had told him numerous times that the small town in the central Sierra’s had been making a name for itself in the wine industry in the last few decades, and when her stepfather came walking out of the master bedroom with the bottle in hand, placing it in her hands with a kiss to her cheek just in the nick of time to prevent the bottles of Sam Adams from being opened. She had let out a sound of surprise and appreciation as she examined the label.

“Call it an engagement present, Sweetie.” Will had told her, stepping back from her embrace to tell both her and Chris, “I figured maybe you’d like to celebrate, I asked your cousin Jacqueline to pick out a wine for you, and she said something about you really liking this one a few years back.”

“ _Ohhh_ …are you a sight for sore eyes…” Katie had breathed, touching the label with reverence before turning her face to Chris, her smile growing as she held the bottle out for him to look at, telling him, “This is one of my absolute _favorite_ wines from back home…I know you were looking forward to Boston beer, but… _would you like a taste of where I’m from?_ ”

He knew she didn’t intend for her question to come out sounding as sexual as it had, but Chris had been so finely tuned to everything concerning her since arriving the night prior that anything she did or said just added another log to the fire, so he nodded his agreement, reaching for the bottles they were about to crack open to put back in the fridge, telling her, “ _Of course_ …I’ve been up your ass about meeting your family and any crumb you’ll give me about where you grew up for the last three months, Kay! Let’s see if the wine you keep boasting about is any _good_ …or if you’re _full of shit_ , babe.”

She hadn’t been lying, it was really good…or at least, the bottle they shared had been.

Sitting on the couch, twenty minutes into the first Hobbit movie, Chris lifted his glass for another sip of the dark red liquid just as Katie had done the same; licking his lips as he lowered the glass, the bold flavor making him lick his lips to savor every drop, he leaned into Katie, whispering in her ear as the first of the dwarves showed up on Bilbo’s doorstep, “This is _really good shit_. What are the odds I can score a date wine tasting with a pretty lady when I go to the land of jumping frogs and drink more good wine?”

Lowering her own glass, Katie turned to smile at him in the low light of the living room.

“ _Pretty good_ …if you think Pahrump is boring, just wait until you get to Murphys. There’s **_NOTHING_** to do there, except drink, hike and smoke weed in the woods.”

“ _Sounds like home…_ ” He chuckled, pulling his arm tighter around her shoulders before kissing her temple.

“ _Hey_! What are you two whispering over there?” Patti had asked, extending her foot to push against Chris’ leg in a playful way. Both Chris and Katie both turned towards her, giggling.

“I think I turned him into a Calaveras wino-” Katie proclaimed, snuggling closer while lifting her glass for another sip before continuing with, “-’Mr. Movie Star’ over here is asking about going on a tasting room crawl when we finally get up there for a visit, that’s all.”

“Oh? And when might that be?” Her mother asked, shifting in her seat to grab her drink off the coaster on the coffee table before sitting back, mirroring Katie’s position with her husband, who leveled a heavy sigh, trying to pay attention to the movie.

Feeling Katie turn away from her mother to look up at Chris, he rubbed his left hand along her arm before lifting it to curl his hand in to allow him to brush the back of his fingers to her cheek, giving her the ‘go-ahead’ to set the date.

“I’m thinking Gram’s birthday…I’ll throw him to the wolves then, when **all** of that side of the family is together.” Katie said, smiling up at him with her left hand, still holding her glass, resting on his chest, “If he survives them, maybe a trip to Yosemite to reward him before taking him to Bubba’s…”

“You want to introduce him to your brother immediately after he meets my side of the family? Kathryn Elizabeth, _I happen to like this one_ , and besides, he’ll give me really cute grand-babies, _please_ don’t go _**scaring him off**_ with that punishment…”

Chris couldn’t fight the laugh that bubbled from him as he took another sip from his glass.

“ _He can’t be **THAT** bad…_ ” Chris interjected, but Patti’s scoff told him otherwise.

“He thinks himself the ‘ _Godfather_ ’ and is incredibly protective of **her** -” Patti explained, pointing at Katie as the party got underway on the television, poor Bilbo in the middle of an anxiety attack, “-so, _yes_ …he can be **_THAT_** bad, Chris. You’re a _brave_ man if you willingly go to face _that headache_ after meeting _my side of the family_ for the **_first time_** …or _a crazy one_.”

“ _I **am** crazy…_ ” Chris proudly admitted, lifting the glass he held for another sip before continuing, “I’m crazy about this _incredible woman_ that’s wrapped around me, and I’ve been under her spell since the moment I laid eyes on her. If she says we’re going to meet her brother once Gram’s birthday is over, I’ll _gladly_ go wherever she leads me.”

“Good answer, son. **Good answer**.” Will spoke up, leaning on his arm at the other end of the couch, not turning away from the screen.

“Yeah… _good answer_ , babe.” Katie whispered, laying her head on his chest, sipping her wine as they went back to watching the movie.

* * *

 

Tuesday dawned, and the atmosphere around the house was once again low-key, with Patti having to go back to work for part of the day. Will spent most of the day tinkering in the garage, working on various projects while Katie went to task sifting through boxes of old photographs Patti had pulled for her from the garage, Chris sitting with her and Cassie on the living room floor while listening to stories and tidbits of information she passed along with each hidden gem she found in the boxes.

“ _Here…_ ” Katie said, handing over a glamour shot with the Olan Mills watermark in the bottom right corner, displaying a group of women in their finest 80’s fashion surrounding an infant; Chris took the picture from her hand, searching the image a long moment before Katie leaned into his arm, her left hand pointing to different faces as she explained, “Looks like the _‘Dynasty_ ’ fan club, _doesn’t it_? There’s mom-” she stated, pointing at the woman in the center, moving on she started at the top of the picture, moving clockwise, “-That’s Auntie Linda, she passed away when I was 16. Complications of breast cancer…there’s Auntie Dee, she’s my mom’s youngest sister…Auntie Carol, she’s the hairdresser, and she and Gram still live in Murphys…she’s Mom’s older sister. And that’s Gram…”

Pointing at the infant sitting in Patti’s lap, Chris looked to Katie, saying, “And that’s _you_?”

Katie nodded.

“You weren’t kidding, you _did_ have to grow into your ears!” He laughed, teasing her; Katie gave him a shove, sticking her tongue out at him as they laughed. “I’m just teasing, you were a cute little shit, _weren’t you_?”

“ _I guess…_ ” She shrugged rather nonchalantly, taking the picture back to set in a pile of ones she wanted to take before going back to the task of searching the stacks.

“ _Hey_ …what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She answered with a tiny shake of her head, staring at the photos she flipped through, coming to stop on of a man pushing a little dark haired girl on a rope swing; Chris caught the way she tilted her her head to the side, inhaling before letting a lengthy sigh loose, her left hand barely grazing over the glossy surface of the photo, directly over the man.

It took her a moment, but she finally broke her gaze away, turning to look at Chris with a sad smile, telling him, “My _dad_. He put that swing in for me, just outside the shop…his workshop. That was the first house I lived in, it was on this hill, on five acres, and on sunny, clear days, you could see all the way down to the Sacramento delta. That was when we had money…it was a half million dollar house with a million dollar view. I don’t remember much about it…but I do remember a few things, _little things_ , like there was a little patio off my parent’s bathroom and there was a large entertaining area that was carved into the earth the house sat on that was covered by part of the house…I remember the day we wallpapered my bedroom with Dalmatian spots, and the Christmas trees… _oh, the Christmas trees_! Chris, they were **huge**!”

Turning his body just enough to face her, allowing him to lean back against the coffee table, resting his hand on the back of her head in a reassuring touch as he watched her set that photo down on the pile, starting up where she left off.

Her face broke into a smile, and she held the newest photo so he could see it-it showed her as a toddler, sitting naked except for her diaper on a booster seat at a breakfast bar, two tiny light brown pigtails sticking up off the top of her head while a thick fringe of hair hung down over her forehead while leveling a mischievous expression at the camera while covered in whatever had been placed in front of her for lunch; reaching out with his right hand, Chris took it, grinning like a fool as he took his fill.

“ _Ohhh my Gaaaahd…_ ” Chris called, looking from the photo to Katie and back, fighting a laugh. “Ohhhh… **look at you**! This is _too damn adorable_ , babe!”

“Oh, if you think _that’s adorable_ … _this one_ might just _kill_ you…”

Katie plucked another photograph from the pile, shoving it into his hands, on top of the last; Chris’ jaw dropped of it’s own accord, and his heart melted at the moment frozen in time-Katie, not more than 18 months old, stood in a frilly dress with puffy sleeves and lace trim, head cocked to the right as she leveled a pout at the camera, all big eyes and chubby cheeks with messy bangs and hair falling out of the bow it was held back in.

His hand left her head, coming to cover his mouth; speechless, he sat staring at the picture for a long moment before finally looking up, searching for Katie’s eyes.

“I was **_right_**.” He claimed, holding the picture out so they both could see it; tapping his finger to the image, Chris went on, an amused grin lifting the left side of his face as he explained, “You **ARE** trouble. You’ve been trouble since _day one_ , and this is **_proof_** …if _this_ is what I have to look forward to…if **_you_** don’t kill me with this look _NOW_ , it’s gonna be **_your mini-me_** that does me in, you know that right?”

She paused, stopping her shuffling through pictures to turn her face, a warm smile on her face as she leaned into his chest, saying, “That’s **_rich_** , coming from the boy that used to rock a pretty mean bowl cut with his freckles and pouty bottom lip.”

“ _Oh Gaaaahd_ , don’t bring up that picture…” Chris felt a soft chuckle rock his chest and he pushed his shoulder into Katie in a playful way as he touched his forehead to hers; glancing at the stack of photos still in her hands, he reached out, plucking one showing Katie as a toddler, sitting in her high chair, legs above the table to facilitate her chewing on her toes with an arm thrown back behind her head. Holding the picture out, Chris laughed, “This was a _good look_ for you, babe…I’m pretty sure I can still bend you into that shape if I try. You looked like you were a _happy baby_ …”

“I _was_.” Katie nodded, “I had no complaints. I was very _loved_ , _nurtured_ …had _everything_ I could have _ever wanted_ _before_ I _knew_ I wanted it. I was the baby, and I was spoiled rotten, but never acted like it…it was a very charmed early life.”

Glancing away from the picture, Chris snuck a peek at her out of the corner of his eye.

“We’re gonna have some _**really** cute kids_.” He stated; she nodded in agreement, a glow seeming to radiate off of her as she leaned in, kissing his cheek, her right hand holding the side of his face as he went on saying, “With chubby cheeks, hopefully your green eyes…”

“The Amerio ‘Dumbo’ ears…” She interjected quietly.

“I have a feeling they’ll either look like me or they’ll look like you…” Chris admitted while lifting his left arm to wrap around her shoulders, pulling her close.

“ _I don’t know_ …if we’re shooting for four little wildlings, odds are we’ll get at least _one_ that is a blend of us both. Come on smart guy, I know you’ve been out of high school for a _minute_ , but you have to remember _something_ about the rule of genetics…”

“You’re gonna pay for that…” Chris told her, dropping his hand to land a solid swat to her ass, “ _Sassy_ …”

* * *

 

“So, Chris…” Patti called from the fridge, looking into the depths of the cold box to hand Katie and Chris both a bottle of beer before grabbing the large bottle of soda to fill her cup; she had gotten home from her job just a little while earlier, and had changed out of her work clothes to get comfortable before joining them and Will back in the living room and finally migrating into the kitchen. “I noticed the ink under your collarbone…is that your _only_ tattoo?”

“ _Mom…_ ” Katie sighed, opening the drawer to retrieve the bottle opener with a roll of her eyes.

“What? I’m **_not allowed_** to ask? I’m sure if I pulled up Google, I find out the answer but I’d like to learn a little more about the man that’s going to be my son-in-law, preferably from the man himself.”

“It’s okay, babe.” He smiled at Katie, reaching for the bottle opener to pop the caps on the bottles he held in between his fingers before handing it back to her, bending over with a groan to pick up the bottle cap that slipped from his fingers, telling Patti, “No, Ma, it’s not… _that’s not a deal breaker, is it?_ ”

“Why would that be a deal breaker, Chris?” Patti asked, amused at his sincerity in checking that she approved of him for her daughter. She turned to face him, head on, all while pouring soda in her tumbler, head tilted in the same way Katie did when questioning him, and he felt his heart melt at the gesture that had been passed down from mother to daughter. “I know Katie has her tattoo for her father, Will has numerous tattoos…hell, even **I** have permanent eyeliner tattooed around my eyes. **_I’m_** not the sister that doesn’t approve of them…that would be my sister Carol.”

“Yeah…Auntie **isn’t** a fan.” Katie admitted, taking the bottle he held out to her, explaining, “Whenever any of us, and by ‘ _us_ ’ I mean her kids, Tim, her idiot son, my younger cousin Jacqueline, my other cousin Nicole and I, show up with new art, she gets emotional and starts off on her ‘ _why would you do that, you came into the world perfect as it was and now you went and marked it all up_ ’ speech.”

Chris cocked his head, his beer lifted halfway to his lips when he asked Katie, “Babe… _did you tell your mom about_ …?”

Shaking her head, Katie took a sip from her bottle, telling him once she swallowed, “No.”

“Tell me what? What’s going on?” Patti asked, concern apparent on her face as she looked between both Chris and Katie.

“Come on, babe. _Show her_ …” Chris said, pulling at the hem of his shirt to pull up, prompting Katie to do the same, showing off the matching design on their left ribs, hers wrapped around the ink previously placed there.

“ _When did you get these?_ ” Patti asked. “Will, come in here and see…”

“My birthday.” Katie told her, explaining, “It was his idea…”

“They’re beautiful, you guys.”

“Thank you.” Chris said, taking turns with Katie to explain the meaning behind each of the pieces that made up the whole when Will walked in to admire their latest art.

“So how many do you have?” Patti asked curiously, touching a gentle finger to Katie’s side, directly over the tiny dandelion tuft, looking up to face Chris.

Pulling his shirt back down, Chris lifted his bottle for a swig before telling Patti, “This one makes seven…but the Chinese symbol on my bicep is pretty much gone, so… _six_?”

“Which one is your favorite?”

“ _Well_ -” Chris started to say, holding his arm out for Katie to step into his side, before telling her mom, “- ** _all_** of them have some kind of meaning to me, but I think the newest one outweighs the rest of them. I mean, I’ve got the ones for my family, my mom, my siblings…then the one in memory of my childhood best friend…the ones that remind me of what I consider important in my life…I don’t get tattoos just to decorate my body, they have to have meaning for me to commit to wearing it for the rest of my life.”

* * *

 

“Goodnight.” Chris called as he walked into the guest room we occupied, closing the door behind him once I heard the answering call from around the corner. I was folding my clothes to stuff back into my overnight bag, trying to cut down on what would need to be done in the morning when we left to head back to Vegas to pick up Scott at the airport later in the day.

A loud groan sounded and I looked over my shoulder, finding Chris standing planted just inside the bedroom door, arms extended high above his head in a stretch, a yawn ripping through him before he lowered his arms to rub his fists into his eyes.

“Tired?” I asked.

“A little bit. _You?_ ” He asked in return, his right hand scratching at his jaw and neck; nodding, I smiled back at him.

“Yeah.” I told him as I pushed up from the carpet to stand, crossing the room to reach for his hand, leading him back over to the bed. I climbed up, crawling the length of the mattress to plop my butt in the middle of the bed, patting the space next to me as I called to him, “Come on, Big Guy…let’s _relax_.”

He stood at the foot of the mattress, bathed in the low warm light of the bedside lamp, watching me with happy, soft eyes that matched the little grin lifting his face on one side for three long beats before reaching back to grab the collar of the Henley he had worn all day and pulling it off over his head; he dropped it on the end of the bed, moving to push the sweats off his hips, adding them to the little pile he was creating, his underwear following a second later before walking up the side and climbing into bed.

“You’re wearing _too many clothes_.” He grinned, hands reaching to push the second skin of the leggings I wore down over my hips to get me more comfortable. “You’re gonna get hot with _all those layers_ on _under all these_ blankets…and me _laying on top of you_ …”

“Chris…” I chuckled quietly, “I’m _not_ sleeping naked, at least _not tonight_ … _maybe_ tomorrow night, we should be good by then…”

His face pressed into mine, his lips taking mine in a hungry and possessive kiss while he continued extracting me from my preferred pajama bottoms.

“I don’t remember saying _anything_ about being naked, just that you’re gonna get hot…like last night.” He breathed against my mouth. “Don’t think I didn’t notice when you woke up this morning you were wearing considerably less than what you came to bed wearing…”

“ _So concerned for my nocturnal well being…so selfless, Christopher._ ” I teased, lifting my leg to his hip to tell him I was alright with whatever he had in mind.

The feeling of his hand skimming up my now bare leg to grab a squeezing handful of my ass once he pushed it under the edge of my panties made me smile as he hushed me with another kiss; it wasn’t long before his hand continued its migration north, pushing under the hem of the oversized shirt I had changed into to gingerly cup my breast, his thumb brushing against my nipple in a barely there touch.

“What can I say, _I care_ , okay?” He whispered against my lips, pecking a kiss before asking, “Is this okay, babe? Are you still tender? Do you want me to stop, or would you like me to keep kissing you? We don’t have to have sex…”

I pulled back, pushing myself to sit up to pull my top off, tossing it to the foot of the bed; sliding back into his arms, I reached for his hand, placing it back on my breast while biting his lip, purring, “I’m still a _little_ tender…but nothing I can’t handle as long as you’re gentle.” His touch  growing just a tad bolder and eventually closing around my nipple, earning a soft hiss of pleasure from me.

“Like _that_?”

“ _Yes…that’s **perfect**_.” I breathed, burying the fingers of my left hand in his hair while nuzzling my nose with his as my right hand closed around his cock. “Let’s play…see where this make out session takes us, baby. But if we end up fucking, _you’re_ on clean up duty…my mom won’t beat your ass, she’s counting on you to make her a grandmother.”

Chuckling, Chris’ teeth closed around my bottom lip for a nip while his hand kneaded my breast.

“Deal… _you_ play interference with _my_ Ma, _I’ll_ do the same for _you_ …keep each other safe from their wrath… _at least_ , until we can shut them up with a baby, _right?_ ” He growled before rolling onto me to see where we ended up.


End file.
